John Jardine, Min. of Tron, Edinburgh

Biographical Summary

John Jardine, born 1715, son of Robert J., Lochmaben ; licen. by Presb. of Lochmaben 7th Sept. 1736 ; ord. to Liberton 30th July 1741 ; trans, to Lady Yester's 6th Dec. 1750 ; trans, and adm. 11th Oct. 1754; D.D. (St Andrews, 20th Nov. 1758); one of His Majesty's Chaplains in Ordinary 1759 ; Dean of the Chapel Royal 1761 ; Dean of the Order of the Thistle 1763. He died suddenly in the General Assembly, 30th May 1766. He was an intimate of John Home, author of Douglas, and a man of infinite pleasantry as well as great talents, whose conversation possessed the charm of easy, natural, attractive humour. His playful vivacity often amused itself in a sort of mock contest with the somewhat infantile simplicity of David Hume the philosopher, who enjoyed the discovery of the joke which had excited the laugh of his companions around him : On one occasion Hume, going down the stair after visiting Jardine, refused a light, saying " he was well acquainted with the stair." He stuck, however, when his friend exclaimed, " Ah ! David, I knew you wanted supernatural light." He marr. 7th Feb. 1744, Jean (died 27th Sept. 1766), eldest daugh. of George Drummond, commissioner of Excise, and Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and had issue—

• Robert, died at Liberton, 8th Feb. 1747 (see tombstone there) ;
• George, born 10th Aug. 1753, W.S. apprentice 1770 ;
• John, born 24th Dec. 1759, died 17th March 1763;
• Janet, born 15th May 1762 (marr. 11th Oct. 1782, George Drummond Home of Blair-Drummond), died 30th Jan. 1840 ;
• Sir Henry, W.S., King's Remembrancer, born 30th May 1766, died 11th Aug. 1851.

SOURCE: Fasti ecclesiae scoticanae: the succession of ministers in the Church of Scotland from the reformation, Vol. I, page 140